Rotating funfair ride

ABSTRACT

A rotating funfair ride comprising a support structure on which a platform is arranged which is rotatable about an axis. The ride exhibits a superstructure to which support arms are oscillatingly hinged, each support arm bearing at a free end thereof a car which is predisposed to receive one or more passengers. Each car is associated to the free end of the support arm so that the passengers are seated with their backs facing the common rotation axis and the support arm.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a rotating funfair ride, which can be used inpublic areas dedicated to leisure activities and for publicentertainment, such as, for example, amusement parks and similar placesof recreation.

As is known, among the many rides familiar to all and sundry arerotating rides where the users sit in little cars provided with chairswhich are set in motion according to circular and/or ellipticaltrajectories.

In particular, rotating rides having a plurality of support arms areknown, which arms are circumferentially distributed about the mainrotation axis of the ride. Each support arm is provided, at a free endthereof, with a group of cars. The cars are circumferentially arrangedabout a rotating pivot, the center of gravity of the group or systembeing localized at the rotation axis of the group. Each support arm isable to perform an oscillating movement on a vertical plane for raisingand lowering the ride support structure. This movement is performed inboth user loading and/or unloading operations and during normal rideoperation, during which each car rotates solidly with the other cars inthe same group of cars, about the rotation axis, and all of the cargroups rotate solidly about the main rotation axis of the ride whilethey are raised and/or lowered by the support arms. The combination ofthe rotation about the main ride axis, the vertical oscillation of thesupport arm and the rotation of the group about the rotation axis lendseach car a curved trajectory which generates a special effect on eachuser. In these rides the passenger is arranged with his or her shouldersin line with the axis of the support arm supporting the car in which thepassenger is sitting.

The main aim of the present invention is to provide a rotating ridewhich can offer sensations to the user which are different to thoseexperienced with usual rotating rides.

An advantage of the present invention is that it increases ride safety.

These aims and advantages and more besides, which will better emergeduring the following description, are attained by a ride, according towhat is described and claimed in the present application for a patent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A rotating funfair ride comprising a support structure on which aplatform is arranged which is rotatable about an axis. The ride exhibitsa superstructure to which support arms are oscillatingly hinged, eachsupport arm bearing at a free end thereof a car which is predisposed toreceive one or more passengers. Each car is associated to the free endof the support arm so that the passengers are seated with their backsfacing the common rotation axis and the support arm.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention willbetter emerge from the detailed description that follows of a preferredbut non-exclusive embodiment of a ride of the present invention,illustrated purely by way of non-limiting example in the accompanyingfigures of the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective schematic view of a ride according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a view from above of an arm of the ride of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view from below of the arm of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the figures of the drawings, 1 denotes in its entiretya ride according to the present invention.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the ride 1 is a rotary ride comprising asupport structure 2, either fixed or transportable, predisposed to lieat rest on a plane. Still with reference to FIG. 1, the ride 1 comprisesat least a mobile platform 6 exhibiting a superstructure 7, whichsuperstructure 7 is engaged to the support structure 2 in such a waythat it can rotate about a common rotation axis X, which isperpendicular to the rest plane 3 on which the support structure lies 2.The mobile platform 6 further exhibits at least a support arm 8 which isoperatively engaged to the superstructure 7 by a rotatable coupling 9.In detail, the support arm 8 exhibits a first end 8 a which is hinged tothe superstructure 7 in such a way as to oscillate on a vertical planebetween a first position, in which an end of the support arm 8 issituated in proximity of the rest plane 3 of the support structure 2,and a second position, in which the end of the support arm 8 isdistanced from the support structure 2.

As can be seen in the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the mobileplatform 6 bears a plurality of support arms 8 which arecircumferentially distributed about the common rotation axis X,preferably in equidistant angular positions.

Means for moving are advantageously associated to the support arms 8,which means for moving can move each support arm 8 between the first andthe second positions thereof. In particular, the means for movingcomprise for each support arm 8 at least a hydraulic actuator 11 havinga first end 11 a hinged to the superstructure 7 of the mobile platform6, and a second end 11 b hinged to the support arm 8. Each hydraulicactuator 11 is movable from a retracted position, in which the supportarm 8 is in the first position, and a maximum extended position, inwhich the support arm 8 is in the second position.

Each of the actuators 11 comprises a lower pneumatic bellows 11 c and anupper pneumatic bellows 11 d, which are coaxial to one another and areextensible and retractable independently of one another. The use of thebellows will be better described herein below.

Still with reference to the figures of the drawings, and in particularto FIGS. 2 and 3, each support arm 8 exhibits, on the opposite side tothe first end 8 a and the superstructure 7, a free second end 8 b, towhich at least a car 12 is associated, which car 12 is destined tocontain one or more users.

Preferably each car 12 is associated to the free second end 8 b of thesupport arm 8 in such a way that the users have their shoulders facingthe common rotation axis X. In other words, each car 12 is associated tothe free second end 8 b of the respective support arm 8 so that theusers are facing the space surrounding the ride and do not have theplatform 6 and/or the superstructure 7 as their main point of visualreference. This position gives the users a particularly disorientatingand therefore considerably exciting experience.

To increase the ride's effect even more, each car 12 can be pivoted tothe respective support arm 8 about a rotation axis Y which is preferablyhorizontal and extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal developmentof the support arm 8 itself. Each car 12 can be idle with respect to thesupport arm 8, or can be rotated by means of an actuator (notillustrated). In the second case the ride 1 also comprises means forbraking (not illustrated) which are operatively associated to the cars12 in order to act on each rotation axis Y. The means for braking can beactivated both when the ride is stationary 1, to aid easy mounting andalighting for the passenger, and when the ride is operating, to managethe rotations of each car 12.

As can be seen in the figures, each car 12 is preferably made to affordseating to two passengers side-by-side, but there is no reason why thesechairs should not be single, nor is there any reason why there shouldnot be three or four chairs, which of course would increase thepassenger capacity without proportionally increasing realization andrunning costs of the ride. This is especially true for a version withthree chairs for each car.

Each car 12 is chair-shaped and includes a seat 12 a, a back-rest 12 babout perpendicular to the seat 12 a, and a head-rest. Each car 12 isassociated to an arm 8 at the back-rest 12 b thereof, preferably in thejoint-zone between the seat 12 a and the back-rest 12 b should the cars12 not be rotatable with respect to the support arms 12. In the othercases the positioning of the rotation axis Y can be chosen according tothe type of oscillation to be impressed on the cars 12. For obvioussafety needs, each car 12 is provided with lateral surfaces 12 c thatextend perpendicularly to the seat 12 a and the backrest 12 b andlaterally contain the passenger. The chair of each passenger is furtherprovided with safety belts and/or bars of known type (not illustrated).

Having described the ride from a structural point of view, thefunctioning thereof will now be described.

During passenger mounting, the platform 6 is kept in a stop position.The support arms 8 remain in the first position so that the cars 12 areaccessible directly from the plane 3 of the support structure 2.Following the passenger access the means for ensuring safety areactivated to block the users in their places. The lower pneumaticbellows 11 c is then operated so that the car 12 is brought and kept ata safe height with respect to the ground. The platform 6 is then rotatedabout the common rotation axis X so that the cars 12 follow a circulartrajectory on a plane that is parallel to the plane 3 of the supportstructure 2. During the rotation, which can be in either direction, thesupport arms 8 are moved on respective vertical planes to raise and/orlower the cars 12, as in FIG. 1.

During this phase of operation, the upper pneumatic bellows 1 d areused, from which air enters and exits according to whether the cars areto be raised or lowered. The movement of the support arms 8 can be donecontemporaneously, i.e. all of the support arms 8 are raised and/orlowered simultaneously, or can be done independently, so that eachsupport arm 8 is raised and/or lowered at a different time from anothersupport arm 8.

During ride operation, if the cars 12 are able to rotate with respect tothe arms 8, the means for braking are suitably activated to permitrotation of each car 12 about the rotation axis Y.

The combination between the rotation of each car 12, the raising and/orlowering of the respective support arm 8 and the rotation of theplatform 6 about the common rotation axis X determines the trajectory ofeach car 12 during the ride 1 operation.

At the end of the ride's run, the support arms 8 are brought back intothe initial position in order to arrange the cars 12 in proximity of thesupport structure 2 and enable the passengers to alight. To achieve thisposition, first the upper pneumatic bellows 11 d is lowered, followed bythe lower pneumatic bellows 11 c. The means for braking are activated,if necessary, to arrange the cars 12 in a suitable position for thepassengers to alight. The platform 6 is progressively halted and themeans for ensuring passengers' safety released. The use of two separatebellows has the advantage of affording a smaller consumption of air andthus of energy in order to operate the support arms 8, as the lowerbellows is never deflated, except at the end of the ride's run to allowthe passengers to alight. In a case of an electrical fault, or apneumatic problem or breakage of the discharge solenoid on one of thebellows, the arm 8 and the car 12 are still supported by the bellows, orat least by one of them, thus preventing any risk to the passengers; thebellows act as a passive safety measure, and are indeed safer than theactive safety measures, i.e. the end run stops which are normally usedin known rides.

The ride 1 of the present invention attains the set aim of offering thepassengers different sensations from those usually produced by prior artrotating rides, as they afford different trajectories from the usualones and a different positioning of the passenger with respect to therotation axis X of the ride.

Also, the above effects progressively change it should be possible torotate the cars 12 about the Y axis, because of the out-of-centerposition of the center of gravity of each car 12 with respect to thecorresponding Y rotation axis.

1). A rotating funfair ride comprising: an inclinable support structure;at least a mobile platform exhibiting a superstructure which isrotatably connected to the support structure; at least a support armhinged to the superstructure and activatable by means for movement foroscillating between a first position, in which at least a car) islocated in proximity of the support structure, and a second position, inwhich the at least a car is situated in a distanced position withrespect to the support structure; the at least a car constrained to theat least a support arm on an opposite side thereof with respect to thesuperstructure and predisposed to receive at least a passenger, theplatform being rotatable about a common rotation axis predefined to movethe at least a car in at least a circular trajectory about the commonrotation axis; wherein the at least a car is associated to a free end ofthe at least a support arm in such a way that the at least a passengeris located with his or her back towards the common rotation axis andtowards the at least a support arm. 2). The ride of claim 1, wherein themeans for movement comprise, for the at least a car, a hydraulicactuator which comprises a lower pneumatic bellows and an upperpneumatic bellows which are coaxial to one another, and which areextensible and retractable independently of one another. 3). The ride ofclaim 1, wherein the at least a car is pivoted to the at least a supportarm about a rotation axis which is arranged horizontally and whichextends perpendicularly to a longitudinal development of the at least asupport arm. 4). The ride of claim 3, wherein the at least a car is idlewith respect to the at least a support arm. 5). The ride of claim 4,where the means for braking are operatively associated to the at least acar and act on each rotation axis, the means for braking beingactivatable both when the ride is stationary, to aid mounting andalighting on one or more passengers, and when the ride is operating, inorder to cause rotations of the at least a car about the rotation axis.6). The ride of any claim 1, wherein each at least a car is conformed asa chair and exhibits a seat, a backrest which is perpendicular to theseat and a head-rest, each at least a car further comprising lateralsurfaces which extend perpendicularly to the seat and the backrest andwhich are predisposed to contain the at least a passenger laterally. 7).The ride of claim 6, wherein the at least a car is associated to asupport arm of the at least a support arm at a backrest of a chairthereof. 8). The ride of claim 1, wherein the at least a car ispredisposed to receive at least two passengers seated side-by-side andis provided with means for safety for holding the at least twopassengers in the chairs. 9). The ride of claim 1, wherein the platformis rotatably engaged on a plane of the support structure. 10). The rideof claim 1, wherein the ride comprises a plurality of support arms whichare circumferentially distributed about the common rotation axis, eachsupport arm of the plurality of support arms bearing a car and beingmobile between the first and the second positions, independently ofmovements of other support arms of the plurality of support arms.